Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-07-14
A GOOD DOG STORY.
From the French Of saoher Masoeh.

NIGHT had set in. The SOUND Oh nIe-
arms might still be heard in the dis
tance. The wood was held by o bat
TALON of French marines. who had
received orders to cover the retreat.
The whole village was on lire from one
end to the other. The heavy tread OF
the Prussian columns as they hled
through the main street resounded
with dull monotony on the ICY snow.
The mounted officers were mufiied IN
long oyercoats, and when the steeds
snorted the breath of the horses
nostrils seemed to freeze in the ar
The quiet, gloomy, star-lit sky, TO-
wards which a fog.cloud OF smoke
scared upwards in the distance, ap-
neared to rest on q board basement
of riven flame.
Outside the village extended the
large open courtyard of a farm which
although it stood alone, had also be-
came a prey to the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
The confagration had gained Thereon,
cock-loft and cattle houses, and
formed q steady advancing sheet OF
fire. A Thousand lambert tongues OF
flame shot beyond the charred walls
toward the orchard fruit.trees and
the tall poplars along the road. A
corpse was stretched full length in front
OF the courtyard door; sut, beyond
the Kissing and cracking ofthefiames,
everything around was silent and
deserted.
Suddenly the mad howl of a power
full watchdog broke the still
ness of the gloom. In vain did the
poor beast wrench on the chain that
throttled him and howl at his APP
proachingfate. The Prussian soldiery,
who had left house and home, wife
and children, to fight their hereditary
foe. were deaf even to the cries OF mer-
CIV which fell from the lips OF q human
being. How then could such men be
expected to stop their victorious ca
reer 20 unbind the leash CT so insig-
nificant an object as a wretched dog?
The battalion had already marched
by and only q few stragglers were left
behind. One of them stopped. should
cred his rife-strap and peered into the
ward. He saw the dog and pitied the
poor brute. The man was a Pole and
had some heart. He remembered the
dear old mastif which had left home
to follow him in the present campaign
and had died in the ditch by the road
side. He cautiously entered the blaZ-
ing courtyard and approached the
kennel. The Watchdog came out and
took confidence at the blue eyes and
open countenanee of the deliverer.
The Pole unstrapped the leather col
lar and the poor animal was free!
1t was a large white dog, with weolly
coat, long tail and pointed ears. 1t
started to follow the stranger; but, on
reaching the dead man at the
farm-yard door, it drew near slow
ly, timidly scented the lifeless
body, and began to whine. The faith
full creature had recognized its master
and began licking his brown and cal
lous hand. Vainly the soldier beck
oned, called and whistled; he ha to
drag the animal away from the corpse,
after passing round it's neck q rope
which had served the purpose OF a
girdle to the dogs dead master.
II.
The French had retired and the
Prussian battalion ritched@its camp
on the outskirts of the wood. Fires
were kindled, and he who had wine or
brandy in his gourd gave some to the
rest. The comrades drew near to
F7avian Valnizki,a as the landwehrman
was called; they looked at the dog
and made fun OF the soft-hearted
"Polak." He only frowned and held
his peace. The dog, who seemed to un-
derstand that the leering mood of the
soldiers might influence his new mas
ter to get rid of him, caressed his
hand with his nose, o. looked up at
him and wagged Its tail. Still, tor
many days the animal refused all
kinds OF nourishment. Once only,
while the column was on march, and
several Of the men left the ranks to
drink at a stream, the dog went to
the bank and Tapped up the water
with a feverish avidity.
III NtN o. lCtE1il udLGlC WOO lODgllb-
When the struggle was over and the
soldiers were gathered round their
camp-kettles, the dog crouched at
his friends feet and looked up at him.
The Pole offered the now we'll
nigh famished animal the rind OF q
piece OF cheese which had long been
slowed away in the depths ofhis peck
ct. The dog for a long time scented
the food, as if to make sure that it be-
longed to his master and nobody else.
The poor creature this time accept
ed the proffered pittance; it began to
eat slowly, and with a sort
OF dignity, like n who does the
thing merely to obiige another. From
that day the Pole got the dogs food
from the country stores which he came
across in the long marches over
French soil.
One evening, the Sergeant of his
squad said to the landwehrmau:
What are you going to do with
that beast?"
''Take it home with me" replied the
Pole, II need a watchdog and cannot
hope to meet with a better one"
Ill.
At last the armistice was concluded
and peace proclaimed. The land yehr.
men looked at each other with joyful
eyes and clasped their hands in silent
token of better days. At the first
town they reached the whole battal-
lion was bundled into a train which
steamed off in the direction of the
Fatherland. They had no sooner
passed the frontier, than the soldiers
were received at every station with
endless cheering and music, and flow.
erS.
The Pole who had been called out to
light ne knew not why, was equally az
a loss to explain why, having fought.
he was brought home amid
such outbursts of popular ia,
vor. lie look as silly as the don at
his feet, perhaps a little more so. for
n dog seemed to have an inklinp
that he was surrounded by enemies
while the "Polak" had grown to be
indifferent.
Once only the dog rose from the
dark corner in which he crouched
sulklly. 1t was at a station in the
north OF Germany. A CONVOY Of
rreneh prisoners arrived just as the
Iahdswehrmen's train entered the
place. The brave hound rushed to the
window and barked and howled at
the cheers and songs which rose from
the dense throng of men with blue
coats and red trousers, as thew fled
on into captivity, closely guarded bv
the Prussian senrinels.
AT Posen, the landwehrmen ware
dis5anded and sent home to their
villages. Volnizki set out with bis
Dag at ms side. a stick in his hand,
ana Followed by his dog. He left the
hign road and took a short cut across